Governance

Philippe Le Corre of the Harvard Kennedy School says the concept of China's Belt and Road Initiative is still "fairly vague." He adds that European countries should discuss the idea of reciprocity with Beijing, so that it won't be a "one-way road."

Since ascending to China’s top leadership, Xi Jinping has become well-known for his frequent overseas travels. Now that the annual session of the National People’s Congress is nearly over, the Chinese president can look forward to a busy international agenda, writes Philippe Le Corre.

President Xi Jinping travels to Italy and France this month for his first overseas trip of 2019. His visit comes soon after the European Commission labeled China a “systemic rival” and “economic competitor.”

The elections in Indonesia could signal a new chapter in the history of the country, claims Derwin Pereira. But whether Joko Widodo or Prabowo Subianto win, the country's history of political and religious pluralism will preclude any sharp turns towards instability.

The Trump administration has never shown much interest in human rights. Last year, it pulled the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council. In 2017, within months of President Trump’s inauguration, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said diplomats should not let human rights values become “obstacles” to achieving national goals. Trump has spoken favorably about some of the world’s most vicious dictators.

US President Donald Trump’s administration seems to hope that, with a nudge from sanctions, ordinary Iranians will rise up and overthrow the Islamic Republic. But the economic data do not support the view that the Iranian public has been driven into abject poverty since 1979, let alone that it is on the brink of revolting.

In the turbulent times of difficult EU-US relations, Brexit, and rising nationalism in Europe, this course analyses the impressive extent of EU presence in the developing world. It first introduces theories, concepts and decision-making processes related to EU foreign policy (by both Member States and EU institutions). In particular, we analyse the processes within the European Communities, and the CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policies) / CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policies) frameworks. The course then critically assesses security and economic policies towards the developing world. Themes to explain the nature of contemporary EU foreign policies include: European integration (intergovernmentalism and supranationalism, neoliberalism and ethical foreign policy), diplomacy, post-colonialism, military and civilian means for conflict-management, and also policies on migration, asylum and